“Clank,” went the first grenade, as it ricocheted off the tank’s turret.

The men knew the road they were on was dangerous. They were in the heart of Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. This was Saddam Hussein’s former stronghold and the insurgency was thriving here. This particular road had been nicknamed “IED Alley.”

It was Feb. 27, 2006, and tensions were high. Five days earlier, Sunni extremists had bombed the gilded dome of the Samarra’s Askariya shrine, an attack that would unleash devastating sectarian violence throughout the country.

One of the heroes from Valor, Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, is being portrayed by Bradley Cooper in a major motion picture based on Chris’ own book. American Sniper hit selected theaters Christmas Day, elsewhere January 16.

“Everybody who agrees to serve their country in a time of war to me has heroic qualities. But not everybody’s a hero. These guys are heroes.”

On December 17, 2009, Sergeant First Class Ryan Ahern and First Lieutenant Tom Bozzay of the Illinois Army National Guard were supporting a French regiment in Afghanistan’s Uzbeen valley. Bozzay was a physician assistant, while Ahern was a Senior Communications Sergeant.

The coalition soldiers came under attack from insurgents. Bozzay and Ahern are each credited with saving the lives of French and American teammates.

I’m pleased to report that another hero from Valor, Buck Doyle, is doing well.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Buck worked as a Defense Department contractor for four years, advising and assisting combat units in Afghanistan. The company he founded, Follow Through Consulting, LLC, provides training for law enforcement, military units, and qualified civilians. Buck also provides consultation to companies in the areas of product development (military and civilian equipment), team building, and leadership. Buck currently lives in Utah with his wife and daughters.

“I wasn’t willing to take these people’s lives for some petty criminal – some terrorist.”

On December 3, 2003, Army Specialist Victor Thibeault was driving a Humvee through a crowded marketplace in Kandahar, Afghanistan. A friend of his, Sergeant Danny Swank, sat in the passenger’s seat. The men had been tasked with providing security for a coalition intelligence unit.

Suddenly, a man walked through the crowd and threw a live grenade into the Humvee. It bounced off Thibeault’s chest, slid between the two men, and lay on the floor.

“When he raised his hand, I was like, ‘Man, I’m going to have to go back out there.’”

On November 14, 2004, Army Captain John Vanlandingham of the Arkansas National Guard was leading a 10-vehicle convoy to an oil refinery in the heart of Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. Vanlandingham was an advisor to the Iraqi National Guard (ING), and was leading approximately 50 ING members in nine unarmored flatbed trucks.

The men had been sent to guard the oil refinery. But refinery workers, fearful of retaliation from insurgents, complained to the Iraqi Oil Ministry, which in turn sent Vanlandingham and his men away. The convoy headed back toward Camp Taji.

“If they stayed out in the street when rounds were coming down, they were going to die.”

On November 9, 2004, Sergeant Chad Cassady of the Marine Corps was a sniper team leader involved in what is now known as the Second Battle of Fallujah.

The operation had begun one day earlier. Cassady and his fellow Marines, together with British and Iraqi troops, were pushing toward the city center in an effort to dislodge the insurgents who had taken control.

Congrats to hero Mike Waltz who just released his book, Warrior Diplomat: A Green Beret’s Battles from Washington to Afghanistan. Mike’s book reveals his unique firsthand experiences as a special forces commander on the ground in Afghanistan, as well as a policy advisor in the White House. He also shares his thoughts on a number of policy issues that have plagued the war effort throughout the past decade, from the drug trade, to civilian casualties, to a lack of resources in comparison to Iraq, to the overall coalition strategy.

If you want to hear from someone who led special forces on the ground AND developed policy at the highest levels of government, buy Warrior Diplomat! http://www.michaelgwaltz.com/